Horribly annoying clicking noise coming out the bottom side of the PC

[Guest]

My computer has been making an annoying noise lately that sounds like two marbles hitting each other softly. The sound has no pattern, therefore I doubt that this is noise from any fan. I put my ear next to the PC and it feels like the noise is louder when my ear is closer to the PSU, but it is almost just as loud when it is near the GPU. I am 100% sure that the noise is not coming out of the hard drive or the upper side of the PC. If this noise is coming from the PSU then that means the PSU is failing and I need to catch this early if this is true so I don't end up frying the whole system because I decided to ignore it. So what do you guys advise me to do at this point? could this be a normal sound? could the motherboard actually make such noises? Should I just RMA the PSU and see if the noise remains?

PS. The computer isn't having any boot up issues and is running. Here are the readings for PSU under PC Health Check in the BIOS.
3.3V I got 3.325
5V I got 5.003
12V I got 11.968 sometimes saw it drop for about a millisecond to 11.8xx

 

[manofchalk]

Your voltages look fine, though that doesnt mean the PSU isnt at fault.

My advice is to pop open the system and just run through it. Disconnect any fans, HDD's or other possible sources of noise. If it continues then you know its either the CPU fan or the PSU. If no sound, keep adding in components until you find the culprit.

 

[smorizio]

could be the bearing in the power supply fan or the power supply suck up a stone. try taking the power supply out..shake it see if anything falls out. if nothing does try green wire to a black wire to jump start the ps and see if it the fan on the ps making noise.also check to see if any wires or parts are hitting fans.

 

[gaborbarla]

It is very like your PSU fan or your PSU having some other fault. Try to get a spare power supply somewhere, maybe a friend or a PC shop to see if that stops the noise. I think you might have to buy a new PSU or change then fan in it.

It might also be repairable, but you must leave the servicing of a PSU to a professional as it may carry risk of electrical shock even when not plugged in.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for the help guys. I'll be RMAing the PSU this monday and hopefully my problem gets solved when I get a new one. I have one last question though. I have a bunch of PSU wires wedged in between the right panel and the back side of the computer for the sake of "wire management". The wires are so wedged to the point that it is quite difficult to put on the right case panel properly (note that I am not the one that did this). Could this be the cause of this ticking? when I get my new PSU, what should I do with the wire management issue? I have a mid tower cause and my PSU is non modular. Should I do the same thing with the wires being wedged in between the back side of the case, or should I sacrifice wire management for the sake of the wires being able to breath?
this is my case
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=719187

 

[smorizio]

the only cable that going to be an issue is the 8 pin pci power cable that go to the mb. most times the 4/8 pin port on the other side of the video card. if the cable has lenth try going around the video card. if you cant then go over the card and make sure the cable with a tywrap can fall into the gpu fan. the hard drive and other cables i wrap to the side of the drive bays. extra cables and lenth i try and connect them together with the chaise cables for the mb.

 

[manofchalk]

Why not actually test to if the PSU is the problem instead of hoping it is? It could just be a fan.

If you organize the cables back there so they lie as flat as possible, that should help with the side panel.
It wouldnt be the cause of the ticking, and the cables don't need to breath.